


An Unwanted Offer

by Hedwig_Dordt



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:01:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25877098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hedwig_Dordt/pseuds/Hedwig_Dordt
Summary: Ciri gets an offer of marriage for her lady in waiting, Milena de Roggeven. Neither Ciri, Milena, or White Wolf's council are not incline to acquiesce said request.Someone should probably have told Lambert.
Relationships: Lambert/OFC, lambert/milena de roggeven
Comments: 56
Kudos: 726
Collections: Inspired by inexplicific Accidental Warlord AU





	An Unwanted Offer

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Your Faults Had Made Me Love You More](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23685499) by [inexplicifics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inexplicifics/pseuds/inexplicifics). 



> The Accidental Warlord AU is a joy, and here's my humble offering to the 'verse.

"Well that's a first," Yenn mutters as she sorts through the post. Jaskier looks up. "Letter addressed to Ciri. Shall I open it?"

"No," Jaskier says, "but I think we should be there when she does." Yenn nods and puts the letter on the edge of the desk, and she starts sorting through the rest. Jaskier calls for one of the pages to fetch Ciri before dinner. 

"What is wrong?" Ciri asks as she comes in minutes later, Milena trailing just behind her.

"Nothing cub!" Eskel says. "You've gotten a letter, is all. And because it's all official looking, we wanted Jaskier to be there when you read it." He hands her over the vellum. Milena retrieves a dagger from her skirt and wordlessly hands it to Ciri. Ciri opens the letter, returns the dagger and starts reading. 

Jaskier smiles softly as he watches her form the sounds of the letters, piecing them together into words and then sentences and then parse the meaning. She's a decent reader, Jaskier knows, but this is an official looking document, likely full of jargon and diplomatic footangles. She frowns as she stumbles across a word she doesn't recognise.

"Jask, can you help me?" she asks eventually. 

"Sure cub." He taps on the arm rest and Ciri sits down. She holds the paper up so Jaskier can read along with her and taps at the words she doesn’t understand. "Oh dear." Jaskier mutters.

"What?" Eskel looks up.

"It's a marriage proposal," Jaskier says, “from a duke in Temeria. Undersigned by the Temerian crown prince.”

"So? The cub knows she doesn't have to marry?" Eskel says. 

"The proposal is for Milena."

"What?" Eskel, Yenn, and Milena say simultaneously.

"See this bit?" Jaskier points out to Ciri, "it means that because Milena is your lady in waiting, he's addressing you."

"But Milena can't marry him!" Ciri says indignantly, "she's with Lambert!"

“But his lordship,” Yenn grins at the sarcasm that drips from the words, “his lordship here says that since she isn’t married, he’s…”

“Free game?” Milena suggests softly.

Jaskier shrugs. “Essentially, yes.” They exchange a look. 

Indignantly, Ciri starts a gesture, and Eskel recognises it just in time. “No! No igni in the letter room!” Ciri drops her arm, her eyes mutinous. “Igni is an outdoor sign!” Eskel says, and Yenn nods. 

“Okay Ciri, let’s go outside so you can burn this letter and spread the ashes on the wind,” Milena says. Ciri jumps off the armrest and they leave the room, presumably to the courtyard.

“We’re not telling Lambert,” Jaskier warns the remaining Council members, “it will only upset him.” They all nod.

“Okay, you guys need to stop acting weird,” Lambert says over dinner, “because you’ve all been quiet as fuck, and it’s creeping me out.”

They look at each other, trying to work out who will draw the short straw. 

“Ciri got a letter today,” Jaskier starts carefully. Lambert looks at him expectantly. “From a Temerian duke.” 

“Why would a Temerian duke write to Ciri?” Lambert now looks genuinely confused.

“Well, because Milena is her lady in waiting, so any marriage offer would have to be approved by her anyway. I’m guessing they are hoping to get a foothold in the White Wolf’s court.” Jaskier says. “I mean, it’s not a bad idea. If you were born and raised at court, marriages are essentially instruments of alliance building. And a duke is a pretty worthwhile piece of bait.”

Lambert goes white.

“The portrait they sent along was probably a little too flattering, though,” Yennefer adds, “I’ve been at courts. They usually don’t look that good, and when they do, overindulgences usually mean they don’t age gracefully.”

Lambert looks over at Milena, who is sitting at one of the tables, chatting happily with Zofia. “Fuck,” he says, which covers a multitude of sins. “A good looking duke with the blessing of a royal?” He stabs at his plate, his appetite suddenly gone. 

Aiden wrinkles his nose and looks over at the high table. Lambert is looking awful. Upon closer inspection, several members of the Council are looking a bit pale. Not the White Wolf though, so there’s no immediate threat. He gets up and without knowing why exactly, he walks over to Milena who is perched next to Zofia at the Viper table. He nods at Gaetan, the only other Cat at the Viper table. “What’s the matter with Lambert?” he asks without preamble. Milena turns her head to see what Aiden means. Her mouth goes narrow.

“I got a marriage proposal, that is to say, Ciri got one for me.”

“And not from Lambert, I assume?” Aiden says. 

“A Temerian duke,” she says. “I didn’t bother to learn his name. I took Ciri to the courtyard to burn it.” Aiden looks amused. “She offered to put him on fire too.” 

“It seems then that Jaskier is rubbing off on the cub.” Aiden muses. 

With that, Milena relaxes a bit. 

“I could murder him if you want to be sure he doesn’t bother you?” he offers. 

Milena blinks. “Why would you…? Oh you totally would.” Aiden shrugs and looks at his nails with a hint of a grin at the corner of his mouth. “No need to murder anyone. I’m not marrying anyone. Well, maybe Lambert.” She inclines her head. “Thank you for offering.” 

“Anytime,” he says. He looks at her, and nods satisfied that she’s okay. “I’ll leave you to it.” 

“Did he just offer to kill Lambert’s supposed romantic rival?” Zofia asks incredulously. “Isn’t he supposed to check in with the White Wolf at least?”

“Witchers,” Milena says with a shrug.

“Witchers,” Zofia concurs. 

Lambert paces up and down the salle. He can do this. He can absolutely do this. The smell of roses intensifies as he hears Milena approach the practice room. She smiles as she finds him inside, and she takes a run towards him. In a reflex, he holds out his arms, and catches her, spins her and puts her down gently. She holds her head up for a kiss, when he remembers what he wanted to do - or rather, say. He clears his throat. “I hear you got a good offer,” he says, “and I want you to know I won’t be angry.”

She looks confused, “that’s… that good?”

“I mean, a duke, that’s pretty high up. And a good-looking one, with the backing of his king… He can offer you more than I ever could.” For some reason, Milena looks even more confused. “So, I wanted to say, I understand. This is what you’re born for. To be at court. Where there’s…”

“Lambert, stop it,” she says, realisation dawning on her, “that might be what I was  _ born _ for, it is not what I  _ live _ for. I want this life. Here, at Kaer Morhen, with the cold winters and not a nobleman in sight, except maybe Jaskier. And most importantly, with you.” She cups his face. “And I don’t care what I’m offered by the Temerians, I want to be with you. As far as I’m concerned, we are married, ring or no ring.” 

He covers her hand with his, and looks for any sign, sight or smell of deceit. All he finds is her scent of roses and honey, and her heart beating with truth. He leans over to give her the kiss she angled for earlier. “Then you can keep me.” 

Up close, he catches a hint of Aiden’s scent on her. “What did the Cat do?”

“Offered to murder the duke who made the offer,” Milena says calmly. “Ciri offered to set him on fire,” she adds. “I wonder what Yenn came up with.”

“Probably slugs,” Lambert says, “those are her speciality.” He holds her close for another moment, enjoying the feeling of her in his arms. “Now, about that footwork…”


End file.
